Plymouth University students have won a grant to expand a Devonport activity centre for autistic children in the city.

Sense Aware, set up by occupational therapy students Rachel Rule and Jade Hedges-Stearn, received £4,973 from the Aviva Community Fund for their ‘local project [to] make a big difference’.

Working alongside charity Routeways in their spare time, the students will use the money to expand the charity’s Devonport Park Activity Centre and help support more children with autism, learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions, as well as thier families.

The students have already held bake sales to raise money for sensory equipment for the premises, and will use the space to house the new equipment.

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Their award from the fund comes six months after the building’s outside space was vandalised, so they hope to make the area as safe as possible.

Jade said: “We attended a conference run by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and were really inspired by a workshop that showed the impact of sensory equipment on the wellbeing of those with additional needs – including children with autism.

“Knowing that Routeways was arts and crafts inclusive, we started to work with them and from there, our own Sense Aware was born.

“Having fundraised for the sensory equipment, the award from Aviva will now help us build a room to fully utilise it, which will be just amazing. We’re so grateful to everyone who voted and are looking forward to getting the building underway.”

Mark Collings from Routeways added: “We can’t thank Jade and Rachel enough, not just for the fund raising, but most importantly for what Sense Aware brings to the charity. With their support we are able to help more families and have greater impact on the lives we touch. We are truly grateful to everyone that voted and grateful to these two inspirational women.”

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